Sport

Snooker star Mickey Joyce moves to top of tour rankings

WINKLEBURY potting machine Mickey Joyce took over top spot in the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Silver Tour rankings.

The 10-year-old collected his second winner’s trophy of the season in the seventh leg at Fareham Snooker Club and takes a six-point lead into the final event.

Joyce, who is based at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club, defeated club-mate Dan Sykes 2-1 in the final.

“It was close,” Joyce said. “I thrashed him in the first frame, he thrashed me in the second frame and then I thrashed him in the third frame, so it was a good final.”

The young star’s toughest game had been in the semi-final against Austen Petty, the winner of the previous two events, who had beaten Joyce 2-1 in a right-royal battle in the quarter-finals in Swindon last month.

“My toughest match was against Austen,” declared Joyce, who prevailed in a third-frame decider. “He put me under a lot of pressure.”

Joyce recorded the biggest break in the tournament with 38 at Fareham.

Five players have mathematical chances of claiming the Silver rankings title at the eighth and final leg at Salisbury Snooker Club on Sunday May 4.

Realistically, it’s a three-horse race and Joyce, pictured, leads the way by six-points over Nathan Farmer (Stoke SC, Gosport), while Petty (Chand-ler’s Ford SC) is 10 points further back.